Zamzar vs PubToPDF for PUB Files
Zamzar is one of the oldest and most trusted file converters on the web — it has been around since 2006 and handles over a thousand formats, from videos to ebooks. If you convert many different kinds of files, it’s a genuinely good service, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise.
This page is about one narrow question: which tool should you use for a Microsoft Publisher (.pub) file? That’s the only format we handle, and the comparison below is specific to it — how many clicks it takes, whether you see the result before downloading, how long you wait, and what the rendering engine actually does with your layout. Where Zamzar is the better choice, we say so. Try both on the same file if you like; the box below is free and doesn’t ask for anything.
Side by side: converting a .pub file
| For a .pub file | Zamzar | PubToPDF |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks to a PDF | 5–6: choose file, pick output format from a long dropdown, convert, wait, open download page, download | 2: drop the file, click Download PDF |
| Preview before download | No — you see the result only after downloading and opening it | Yes — every page rendered on screen before you download |
| Waiting | Shared queue across all formats; slower at busy times; free tier has daily limits | Typically ~10–15 seconds; .pub is the only thing our servers do |
| Rendering engine | General-purpose conversion stack using the standard open-source Publisher reader (libmspub), no Publisher-specific layout work on top | Our own patched libmspub plus a layout engine tuned against real Publisher output (paragraph fallbacks, tab stops, letter spacing) |
| Honesty about problem files | Converts silently, whatever the result | A warning badge on the preview when a file uses features that render imperfectly (e.g. Publisher 97) |
| Account / email | Not required for small files; account needed for larger files and file management | Never — no account, no email, files deleted within 60 minutes |
| Other formats | 1,000+ format pairs — video, audio, images, documents, ebooks | None. Only .pub → PDF |
| Batch conversion | Yes, on paid plans | One file at a time (for now) |
The honest summary
Choose Zamzar when .pub is just one of many formats in your life, or when you need batch conversion and a file inbox as a paid service.
Choose PubToPDF when the .pub file itself is what matters — the newsletter that has to look right, the archive you're rescuing before Publisher's retirement. Fewer clicks, a preview before you commit, and an engine that exists for exactly this one format.
Common questions
Is Zamzar bad at converting .pub files?
Not bad — generic. Zamzar converts .pub through a general-purpose engine based on the same open-source Publisher reader most converters share, without Publisher-specific layout work on top. Simple files come out fine; complex layouts with linked text boxes, custom fonts or precise spacing often drift. And because there’s no preview, you find out after downloading.
Why does the same .pub file come out different in different converters?
Microsoft never published the .pub format, so every converter re-implements it from reverse-engineered code. Most reuse the same open-source library and inherit its gaps. We maintain our own patched version of that library plus a layout engine tuned against real Publisher output — that’s why results differ.
Is PubToPDF free? What’s the catch?
Converting a .pub file — preview included — is free, with no account and no email. Files are limited to 50 MB, one at a time, and are deleted from our servers within 60 minutes. That’s the whole deal.
When is Zamzar the better choice?
When your task goes beyond .pub — Zamzar handles over a thousand format pairs and offers batch processing on paid plans. We do exactly one thing: .pub to PDF, as faithfully as possible.